White Campion

Silene latifolia

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Caryophyllaceae (Pink)

Also in this family:

Annual Pearlwort, Bladder Campion, Bog Stitchwort, Bouncing Bett, Clove Pink, Common Chickweed, Common Corn-cockle, Common Mouse-ear, Common Soapwort, Corn Spurrey, Greater Chickweed, Greater Stitchwort, Knotted Pearlwort, Lesser Sea-spurrey, Lesser Stitchwort, Procumbent Pearlwort, Ragged Robin, Red Campion, Rock Sea-spurrey, Sea Campion, Sea Sandwort, Snow-in-summer, Spring Sandwort, Sticky Mouse-ear, Three-nerved Sandwort, Thyme-leaved Sandwort

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Maximum Size:

1 metre tall

Habitats:

Farmland, gardens, roadsides, walls, wasteland.

Flower:

White, 5 petals

5 white notched petals, up to 3cm. Calyx is greener, narrower and twice as long as with Red Campion.

Fruit:

Light yellow or brown ovoid capsules, bearing numerous seeds.

Leaves:

Opposite, hairy, untoothed, lanceolate, dark green leaves. Basal leaves are stalked and the upper leaves are unstalked.

Aroma:

Carries a weak fragrant at night.

Other Names:

Bladder Campion, Bull Rattle, Cockle, Cow Rattle, Cuckoo Flower, Evening Lychnis, Flower of the Dead, Grave Flower, Thunder-flower, White Bachelor's Button, White Cockle, White Robin, Wide-leaved Bladder Catchfly.

Frequency (UK):

Common

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map